Sage Statham, Chief Executive Officer
The evolution of services offered by Parents and Friends since its inception in 1955 has been dramatic. However, it is, perhaps, predictable. In 1955, the issues involved not sending children to live permanently in a State institution and providing them with a local education, which was withheld in those times, due to the State deeming them “unable to learn”.
To address this, parents got creative and started their own school and lobbied and worked for Title 17. Later came the drive to create jobs in the community for the disabled, supported living services so they could live independently in the community, and promoting self-advocacy so they could learn and demand their rights and self-respect. Behind all this was a sense of what was right, what was needed, and the creativity to find solutions which were able to bridge the gap between theory and execution. Times have changed.
Technology has changed. Issues have changed. Now we have Title 17, now we have access to the public school system and now we have rights for disabled Americans. So what are our needs now? Over the last few years we have focused on five areas of need ... some new, some recurring. These needs, not in order of importance, are: employment, self-advocacy, independent living, health and well-being, and integration into the community. Each of these five areas deserves a paper unto itself, but as an overview, here are some of the things we have recently implemented or are actively working on.
Health and well-being has been an area which has not been focused on enough in the past. Recently we have developed relationships with the providers at Mendocino Coast Clinics and Mendocino Coast Pharmacy to work with and track medical issues and drug efficacy as they relate to clients’ well-being. We have assigned specific staff to assist clients to collect and report data to medical providers and follow through on prescribed remedies and life-style adjustments. We have also developed a certified Pro-Act trainer on staff to teach Pro-Act techniques in defusing volatile situations and teach appropriateness in the community. We also have on staff certified dementia and aging practitioner for our aging clients (early dementia and Alzheimer’s is a medical complication for many of our clients). Also on staff is a certified disability technologist to help clients to have access to the latest technology to help them to participate fully in the community and their workplace. We have also invested in providing the means for clients to practice good health and a healthy lifestyle. All clients in L.I.F.E. on the Coast and The Community Connection have a PFI provided membership to the C.V. Starr center where they swim, exercise, do Zumba and more. We have also retrofitted our building on Chestnut Street with a new home kitchen as well as a full laundry area where clients learn domestic skills including kitchen skills, cooking, nutrition, shopping skills, budgeting and laundry skills. We have an organic learning garden on Cypress Street where clients learn gardening skills, nutrition, vegetable recognition, use and benefits and participate in the community Farmer’s Market weekly. There’s lots more, but suffice to say, looking back to 1955, as Yogi Berra said, it feels like déjà vu all over again, and it feels good!
To address this, parents got creative and started their own school and lobbied and worked for Title 17. Later came the drive to create jobs in the community for the disabled, supported living services so they could live independently in the community, and promoting self-advocacy so they could learn and demand their rights and self-respect. Behind all this was a sense of what was right, what was needed, and the creativity to find solutions which were able to bridge the gap between theory and execution. Times have changed.
Technology has changed. Issues have changed. Now we have Title 17, now we have access to the public school system and now we have rights for disabled Americans. So what are our needs now? Over the last few years we have focused on five areas of need ... some new, some recurring. These needs, not in order of importance, are: employment, self-advocacy, independent living, health and well-being, and integration into the community. Each of these five areas deserves a paper unto itself, but as an overview, here are some of the things we have recently implemented or are actively working on.
Health and well-being has been an area which has not been focused on enough in the past. Recently we have developed relationships with the providers at Mendocino Coast Clinics and Mendocino Coast Pharmacy to work with and track medical issues and drug efficacy as they relate to clients’ well-being. We have assigned specific staff to assist clients to collect and report data to medical providers and follow through on prescribed remedies and life-style adjustments. We have also developed a certified Pro-Act trainer on staff to teach Pro-Act techniques in defusing volatile situations and teach appropriateness in the community. We also have on staff certified dementia and aging practitioner for our aging clients (early dementia and Alzheimer’s is a medical complication for many of our clients). Also on staff is a certified disability technologist to help clients to have access to the latest technology to help them to participate fully in the community and their workplace. We have also invested in providing the means for clients to practice good health and a healthy lifestyle. All clients in L.I.F.E. on the Coast and The Community Connection have a PFI provided membership to the C.V. Starr center where they swim, exercise, do Zumba and more. We have also retrofitted our building on Chestnut Street with a new home kitchen as well as a full laundry area where clients learn domestic skills including kitchen skills, cooking, nutrition, shopping skills, budgeting and laundry skills. We have an organic learning garden on Cypress Street where clients learn gardening skills, nutrition, vegetable recognition, use and benefits and participate in the community Farmer’s Market weekly. There’s lots more, but suffice to say, looking back to 1955, as Yogi Berra said, it feels like déjà vu all over again, and it feels good!
